‘Mad Men’ Final Season: AMC to Split 14 Episodes Between 2014 and 2015

The announcements that AMC had decided to re-cancel 'The Killing,' spinoff 'Breaking Bad' into a 'Better Call Saul' prequel and add a 'Walking Dead' companion series spinoff for 2015 had us wondering if 'Mad Men' would be the next target to fill the rapidly-expanding holes in AMC's lineup, and it seems we were right. The network has decided to split 'Mad Men's seventh and "final" season between 2014 and 2015, expanding each run as 'Breaking Bad' did before them.

News of the 'Mad Men' split arrives from the Los Angeles Times, indicating that the seventh season will consist of 14 episodes total, up from the usual 13 per season, splitting 7 episodes to air in 2014 as "The Beginning" and the final 7 episodes to run in 2015 as "The End of an Era." No doubt AMC wishes to hold onto its main draws for as long as possible, given the imminent ends of 'Breaking Bad' and likely 'Low Winter Sun,' the latter of which had been positioned as the network's gritty new flagship before its spectacular critical and ratings failures.

"This approach has worked well for many programs across multiple networks, and, most recently for us with 'Breaking Bad,' which attracted nearly double the number of viewers to its second-half premiere than had watched any previous episode,” said AMC President Charlie Collier in a statement announcing the news. “We are determined to bring 'Mad Men' a similar showcase."

Series creator Matthew Weiner too chimed in on the split:

We plan to take advantage of this chance to have a more elaborate story told in two parts, which can resonate a little bit longer in the minds of our audience. The writers, cast and other artists welcome this unique manner of ending this unique experience.

Frankly, we can't wait to see what AMC comes up with next to populate its future lineup, but by this point, a 'Mad Men' spinoff seems all the more likely. What say you, fans? Are you excited to have an additional episode of 'Mad Men' to carry the series through 2015, or should the final season end on its own terms next spring?

Go inside the season 6 finale "In Care Of" for some thoughts on the future below, and give us your thoughts in the comments!